


The Cliff's Edge

by UrdnotFLEXTheJediBard



Series: We Could Be Heroes [1]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Bottom Shepard (Mass Effect), Dirty Dancing, Dom Kaidan Alenko, Dom Shepard (Mass Effect), Eventual Sex, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, Kissing, M/M, Secret Relationship, Smut, Sub Kaidan Alenko, Sub Shepard (Mass Effect), Top Kaidan Alenko, Top Shepard (Mass Effect), True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:46:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27748474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrdnotFLEXTheJediBard/pseuds/UrdnotFLEXTheJediBard
Summary: John Shepard is tired of waiting. He and Kaidan have had enough misteps and false starts. They're both ready to do this thing right.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko & Male Shepard, Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: We Could Be Heroes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029798
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	The Cliff's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> _I can remember_   
>  _Standing, by the wall_   
>  _And the guns, shot above our heads_   
>  _And we kissed, as though nothing could fall_   
>  _And the shame, was on the other side_   
>  _Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever_   
>  _Then we could be heroes, just for one day_
> 
> \-- David Bowie

_**Fictional Kiss Prompts - #9 One small kiss, pulling away for an instant, then devouring each other** _

* * *

Shepard paced back and forth across the apartment’s living room, absentmindedly changed course, and ended up lapping through the kitchen and study and back again. His eyes pored over the report numbers. Every one said the same, painfully obvious thing. They were losing. Fast. There was never any denying that fact, but now it was clear they were rapidly approaching the cliff’s edge. And this realization is what made him change his mind an hour ago.

_Where the hell is he?_

He’d only gotten three words in response to his message. _“I’ll be there.”_

Well, three words and one letter. _“I’ll be there. - K”_

They were pushing it. Shepard didn’t care anymore. No one important had the time to give a damn, so why should he? And they were both Spectres now, so rank was all but irrelevant. Thing was he _did_ give a damn because it had consequences, his sanity check with Kaidan. It was one thing to talk boundaries and what-ifs at Apollo’s, and another thing entirely to live up to their set standards on the field.

But this was shore leave. Unless the Reapers hit the Citadel this afternoon, they wouldn’t have to put them to the test.

His datapad beeped once, and his heart raced for a second thinking it was a message from Kaidan. It wasn’t. It was more bad news from the turians. Another fortress colony obliterated. Shepard threw the device at the couch where it bounced off the cushion, ricocheted off the chair next to it, and landed with a dull thud by the piano. He rolled his eyes at himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was in the middle of bending over to retrieve the device when the most welcome sound in the universe pinged through the apartment.

The datapad could wait. Everything could wait.

Shepard stood and keyed open the door on his omnitool. He leaned against the back of the couch as the door slid open and Kaidan strode in, eyes flickering up from his own datapad. Shepard didn’t mind getting a good look at him first.

“Sorry it took so long, Shepard,” Kaidan said. “Got held up at the embassy.”

“Know what that's like. You heard then?”

Kaidan nodded, turning off his datapad and setting it on an end table. “Vorrell was going to go soon. Nothing anyone could do at this point. But unless the Council is playing favorites with their human Spectres and you found out an hour before me, I doubt that’s why you asked me over. Still, I guess now I have to clarify if this is work or pleasure.”

Kaidan flashed him half a smirk as he made his way to the kitchen and the mini-bar. “Either way I need a pick me up, and Anderson has the best-stocked top shelf in the sector. Want anything?”

“Sure, whatever you’re having, and to answer your question we’ve already hit our limit for shop talk,” Shepard replied, following behind his - well, Kaidan.

“Now _that_ is the best news I’ve heard all day. Here you go.” He handed Shepard a glass of cognac they’d rescued from the bar and hidden from the rest of the crew behind some seasonings and such. It was for special occasions, and at this point any time alone counted.

“I - thanks for coming over, Kaidan,” Shepard started, annoyed at how self-conscious he suddenly felt. And the minute quirk in Kaidan’s lips told him he wasn’t hiding it very well.

“If it makes you feel better, this isn’t the first ‘Hey, could you come over?’ message I’ve gotten, Shepard.”

He snorted into his glass, eyes stinging from the splash of fumes then went up his nose. “Guess it was a little more obvious than I meant.”

Kaidan’s lips turned up into a full smirk at this, and he shrugged. “It’s been, what? Three? Four weeks since our sanity check? Under normal circumstances…”

“I know I said I wanted us to take our time, however much we have, do things right.”

“... that would be a helluva long time to wait between real dates, Shepard.”

“But with everything that’s happened since then - ”

Kaidan nodded, taking another sip. “Those lines between knowing we’re on borrowed time and going fast but not rushing are getting a little blurry.”

“Harder to justify, is closer to what I was thinking,” Shepard countered, swallowing hard even before the dark honey liquid touched his lips again.

Kaidan peered over his glass at him. And his eyes betrayed another smile stopped only by the rim’s curve. “Sure, that, too.”

Shepard cleared his throat and then chuckled. “So you know what I’m getting at and I know you know what I’m getting at, and this back-and-forth is you giving me a hard time because you’ve got me at a disadvantage here.”

“You _are_ the one who gave in first and messaged me,” Kaidan chuckled, setting his empty glass in the sink and crossing his arms lightly. “Of course, if I really minded I wouldn’t have come over. Or I’d be annoyed that I’m losing you to an evening of sushi with Joker.”

“Oh, I’ll cancel on him in a second if you tell me to,” Shepard promised. He set his own glass down and stepped around the island counter. Kaidan’s position didn’t change and to anyone else it would look like he hadn’t noticed Shepard getting closer. Shepard wasn’t anybody. He could tell in three breaths exactly how much faster Kaidan’s breathing was getting. It was well on its way past his normal resting rate.

But Kaidan just smiled in response. “And I’d believe you if I didn’t know you’ve been waiting to eat at Ryuusei for _years_.”

Shepard opened his mouth and then caught himself. Making a joke about how it wasn’t his fault he’d died at Alchera and lost his promised reservation for saving the Citadel was the surest way to ruin this mood. Instead he murmured, “Well, I’ve waited for you longer.”

Kaidan made a valiant effort at keeping a straight face before cracking up. “Shit, if I had that line on camera, I could blackmail you for so much by threatening to show it to Vega. More if it were Garrus. I could buy this whole place out from under you.”

Shepard put a hand to his face. “I meant for that to be a compliment, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. And if you stopped trying to play this so smooth, we wouldn’t have lost so much time already.”

Shepard blinked. “You’re - you’re serious?”

The question was wholly unnecessary. Kaidan’s smile was still there but his eyes burned amber fire, showing nothing of the self-doubt and uncertainty they’d held a few years ago when they first met.

“Yeah, Shepard. I’m serious.”

He unfolded his arms and stepped over to Shepard, stopping just short of making Shepard back all the way into the counter. If Kaidan’s breathing was still quickening, then Shepard’s heart was pounding like he was in a full sprint.

“Kaidan, I still don’t want to pressure - ”

Kaidan stopped him with a light finger on his lips. “I know, Shepard. You’re thinking about this way too much. When I told you I was all in, I meant it.”

He only took his finger away when Shepard brushed the line of his jaw with his knuckles. Each touch was still brand new, sparkling with untapped energy. They’d kissed already, of course. Once in the starboard lounge on the _Normandy_. It had - well, it had gone on for a while, but this was -

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. “Still in your head.”

Shepard leaned forward and his lips found Kaidan’s, briefly, enough to start releasing some of the steadily building energy.

Kaidan’s eyes searched his for a millisecond, found something they liked, and then his fists gripped Shepard’s shirt and he pushed into a deeper, more urgent and glorious kiss than any they’d yet shared. But it wasn’t like opening a release valve; it was like detonating a bomb.

And like any bomb exploding, there was an accompanying _BANG!_

“Ow, _shit!_ ” Shepard yelped, his hand springing up to the back of his head where it had slammed into the edge of the cabinet.

Kaidan lurched back and groaned, his expression mortified and furious with his over-enthusiasm.

“Shit, _shit_ ,” Shepard repeated. “Argh, that stings.”

“Oh, fuck me. Shepard, I’m so sorry!”

“I - well - ” Shepard stammered and grimaced as he rubbed the growing lump. “ _Dammit._ That’s what I was _trying_ to do.”

Kaidan’s apologetic face morphed into an ugly attempt at not laughing. And it was so ridiculous that Shepard’s annoyance at the painful interruption of the moment evaporated and they both doubled over. Kaidan snorted - actually snorted, twice - and Shepard lost it all over again. Kaidan pulled him into a hug, one hand going up to gently cover Shepard’s where it was protecting his skull.

“Never living this one down, am I?” he asked.

“Not in a million years,” Shepard answered. “Any chance there was a less literal way you could have made your point about getting out of my head?”

“Oh, you’re fine,” Kaidan rolled his eyes. “I’ll just make sure to bring your helmet next time. For now, go sit on the couch and I’ll bring you an ice pack.”

Shepard complied and swore he heard Kaidan muttering something about this not boding well for certain future physical activities as he opened the freezer, and he could barely breathe from laughing. Kaidan returned, looking guilty and sheepish as he handed him the ice pack and towel. Shepard reached for his hand without thinking and pulled Kaidan down onto the couch. He shifted a little once he sat, allowing Shepard to lay on his lap. They locked eyes and started laughing again.

_Alright, this wasn't so bad either._

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my fellow authors who hit me with these fantastic prompts and to my beta readers!


End file.
